Canadian mountain climber Heather Geluk return back to help Nepal

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Heather Geluk was in the mountains when Nepal was struck by the April 25 earthquake. She stayed back to volunteer and help hundreds of people who were affected by the quake. Eleven months after the disaster has passed, Geluk has returned back to Nepal again to help with relief work. She has seen some early victories for the survivors, who are in the midst of rebuilding their homes and their lives.

“Buildings have started to pop up again, there are smiles on people’s faces, there’s a lot of hope,” Geluk told CBC Radio’s Afternoon Drive by telephone from Kathmandu on Tuesday.  “But at the same time, I mean the impact of the earthquake, you can’t ignore it. There’s still rubble and rocks and wood and stuff everywhere and people are still living in homes which are completely unfit to be lived in and are unsafe.”

Geluk had been traveling to Nepal time and again for years. In the past, she used to travel solely to seek adventure and climb mountains. “After last year’s earthquake, that mountain-transactional relationship that I had with the country, it’s become so much deeper,” she said. She feels responsible towards Nepali people who have welcomed her into their lives for so many years. “The Nepali people have helped me, like, every single time I’ve ever come here, so now it’s my chance to give back,” she said. “Instead of them offering me tea, this time, it’s me saying to them: ‘Here, have a cup of tea. Let me help you carry your load.’